Adventure4Change welcomes the fall after a galvanizing Staff retreat that wrapped up the summer and planned for the fall. It has been a summer of growth, leadership experience and community. With summer camps and canoe trips to leadership development, sports, family outings, and preparing children for the school year, it was more about creating spaces where young people can build confidence, families can connect and communities members can discover new ways to contribute This summer, over 100 children and youth took part in Adventure4Change programs and activities, supported by over 20 staff and volunteers and strengthened by the generosity of our community partners. Take a look at some of the moments that made this summer special.
Summer Camps
After five weeks of camps, bringing together over 80 children for games, sports, creative activities, cultural experiences, field trips, and new friendships, our summer camps have officially wrapped up!
Our Cultural Camp welcomed an average of 40 children each day, creating space for young people to connect with culture, community, and one another. Our three A4C camp sessions also welcomed about 40 children per day, providing safe and engaging spaces for children to learn, explore, and have fun throughout the summer. But the numbers only tell part of the story. For a child, summer camp can be the place where they make their first new friend, discover a sport they love, find confidence in trying something new, or simply experience a space where they feel welcomed and included.
For our older youth, camp becomes something more. Over 30 trained youth stepped into leadership roles, supporting younger children and discovering that their presence and contributions can make a difference in someone else’s experience. That is what summer at Adventure4Change is about, not simply filling a summer schedule, but creating opportunities for marginalized children and youth to connect, grow, lead, and discover what they are capable of. We are grateful to our staff, volunteers, families, donors, and community partners who helped make another summer of adventures possible.
From Youth to Leaders: Youth Leadership Intensive
What happens when young people are given the opportunity to lead?
This summer, over 30 youth participated in our Youth Leadership Intensive, an experience designed to help them develop the skills and confidence needed to become leaders in their communities. Over five days of workshops, activities, teamwork, and hands-on learning, participants explored communication, conflict resolution, inclusion, teamwork, responsibility, and leadership. But the most important part came when they put those skills into practice. Many went on to support our children’s summer camps, working alongside staff and becoming role models themselves. A young person who once looked up to our camp leaders was now becoming one. That transition from participant to leader is one of the most meaningful forms of impact we can create. The training also helped prepare youth for their summer employment, giving them practical skills and experience they could carry into the workplace. We are proud of these young leaders and excited to see how they continue to grow, lead, and contribute to their communities.
Our Partnerships
Starting School Strong: The Backpack Drive
For many families, getting ready for a new school year comes with significant costs. A backpack and some stationery may seem like a simple item, but for a child, having the supplies they need can mean starting school feeling prepared, confident, and included. Through this year’s backpack drive, 300 backpacks were distributed to 100 children and families in our community. We are incredibly grateful to the Waterloo Region Police Service and everyone who contributed to making this initiative possible. Together, we are helping children start the school year with the tools they need to learn, grow, and succeed.
Girls Canoe Trip
One of A4C’s approaches is using experiences as opportunities for transformation. Sometimes, that means taking young people beyond their everyday environments and giving them the opportunity to experience something new. This summer, five girls participated in a canoe and camping trip designed to build confidence, teamwork, resilience, and connection with nature. On the water, they learned to communicate, work together to navigate challenges, and sometimes simply keep paddling when things did not go according to plan. Camping together in the woods also created opportunities to build relationships and form lasting bonds.
Experiences like these become opportunities for growth, where youth learn to trust themselves, rely on others, navigate challenges, and discover just how much they are capable of. The trip also featured Rosin, a former participant in A4C programs who returned this time as a leader, supporting the next group of young people as they experienced their own adventure. For these ladies, the canoe trip created more than summer memories. It offered experiences, relationships, and lessons they can carry with them long after leaving the water.
Celebrating Our Youth in Policing Graduates
This summer, we celebrated two young people as they completed their Youth in Policing program. Through the program, they gained professional experience, developed new skills, learned about the realities of policing and first response, and explored different ways of serving their community. Just as importantly, the program created space for meaningful connections between youth and police. By working alongside officers, asking questions, and learning from one another, young people and police can move beyond assumptions and develop greater understanding.
For Aboude and Zacharia, this summer represents one step in a much bigger journey. The skills, connections, and perspectives they gained can help shape their confidence, future aspirations, and sense of what is possible. We are proud of them for reaching this milestone and grateful to the Waterloo Regional Police Service for a partnership that exposes young people to new possibilities while strengthening relationships between youth and police in our community. Congratulations, Aboude and Zacharia!
Creating Pathways Through Youth Employment
As evident from the Youth in Policing, the opportunity to earn income while gaining real world work experience is an important step toward future employment and independence for many youths. This summer, Ali, Salem, Kadar, and Syadiah were selected to participate in Youth Force in Waterloo, a program that provides paid summer employment, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities for youth ages 15–29 who face barriers to employment. Through the program, our youth had the opportunity to build their resumes, develop workplace skills, earn income, and gain experience in a supportive environment. As part of their summer training, all four youth completed certifications in Food Handling and CPR, adding valuable skills they can carry into future employment opportunities. Together, they also contributed more than 200 hours of work throughout their summer break. That is two hundred hours of learning, responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, and building confidence in the workplace all while earning income and gaining experience they can take with them into their next opportunity.
Graduation is an important milestone, but it is also the beginning of what comes next. As one of our youth reflected:
“ I am highly motivated and I look forward to getting my next job.”
We are proud of Ali, Salem, Kadar, and Syadiah for the commitment they showed throughout the summer and for the contributions they made to our community. Thank you to YouthForce Kinbridge for creating this opportunity.
Celebrating New Chapters
Saying Goodbye
Our community also experienced a few transitions this summer. We said goodbye to Jean Morrison, who has been an important part of the Adventure4Change team, particularly in our children’s programming. We are grateful for the time, energy, organization, and care Jean brought to our community and to the many children and families she supported along the way. We also celebrated Hibatullahi Umar, who has moved on from A4C as she begins an exciting new chapter pursuing her Master of Social Work full-time.
Hibatullahi contributed more than six years to Adventure4Change through both her work and volunteering, supporting youth programs and building meaningful relationships with young people. While saying goodbye is never easy, we are proud to see members of our community take their next steps and pursue new opportunities. We wish Jean and Hibatullahi every success in their new endeavours and look forward to seeing all that they accomplish.
Welcoming Sara Hussein to the A4C team
Every strong youth program starts with strong relationships, and we are excited to welcome Sarah Hussein to Adventure4Change as our new Youth Engagement Facilitator. Sarah’s journey with A4C actually began years ago, when she started volunteering with us as a Grade 11 student. Today, she returns to A4C as a graduate of Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph, with a Masters of Science in Global Health from McMaster University.
In her new role, Sarah will work alongside girls and young women in our community, building relationships, exploring their interests, developing confidence, and supporting them to embrace new opportunities. There is something special about welcoming back someone who once volunteered in our programs and is now returning to contribute in a new way. It is another reminder of what can happen when young people are given opportunities to grow, lead, and give back.
Welcome to the team, Sarah!
Thank You for Being Part of the Journey
None of this work happens alone. To our youth and families, thank you for trusting us and bringing your energy, ideas, and experiences into our programs. To our staff and volunteers, thank you for showing up, building relationships, and creating spaces where young people feel supported and valued. And to our donors, funders, community partners, and stakeholders, thank you for investing in our vision and helping us turn opportunities into action. Every ride provided, donation made, partnership created, hour volunteered, and conversation shared contributes to something bigger. Thank you for being part of the Adventure4Change community and for making this work possible. Together, we are creating adventures, building connections, and making an impact, one young person, one family, and one community at a time.
Coming Up Next
November 2026, A4C Impact Report